Preparing Your Home for Wildfire Season

Preparing your home for wildfire season is an unfortunate necessity in many parts of the world. With the growing intensity and frequency of wildfires, taking action to safeguard your home and family is crucial. This involves creating defensible space, preparing an emergency kit, and developing an evacuation plan. By doing so, you can significantly increase your chances of weathering a wildfire safely.

How to Create Defensible Space When Preparing Your Home for Wildfire Season

A key step in preparing your home for wildfire season is creating defensible space. This refers to the buffer you establish between your home and the surrounding vegetation that can fuel a wildfire. By reducing flammable materials around your property, you lower the risk of your home catching fire.

Zone 1: 0-30 Feet Around Your Home	Zone 2: 30-100 Feet Around Your Home
Remove dead vegetation and combustible materials: Dead leaves, grass, pine needles, and dry branches act as fuel for wildfires. Regularly clean your gutters and roof to prevent accumulation.	Create breaks in vegetation: Use non-flammable materials like gravel or stone walkways to interrupt the spread of fire across your yard.
Prune trees and shrubs: Keep tree branches at least 10 feet away from your home. Trim lower branches up to 6-10 feet off the ground to prevent fires from climbing upwards.	Mow your lawn regularly: Grass can quickly become a fire hazard when it dries out. Keep it mowed to less than 4 inches in height.
Space out plants: While plants can beautify your yard, clustering them too closely can spread a fire more quickly. Opt for fire-resistant plants, and leave enough space between them to slow the spread of flames.	Limit the number of trees: If you live in a heavily wooded area, consider thinning the number of trees around your home. Removing some trees reduces the amount of fuel available to the fire.
Move flammable objects away from your house: Items like firewood piles, propane tanks, and patio furniture should be stored at least 30 feet from your home, especially during fire season.	Install fire-resistant landscaping: Consider replacing wooden fences or decks with non-combustible materials like metal or stone.

Preparing an Emergency Kit for Wildfire Season

In a wildfire situation, you may have very little time to gather your belongings and evacuate. Having an emergency kit ready can make all the difference. Here’s what to include:

Basic Supplies:

• Water: Aim for one gallon per person per day, enough for at least three days.
• Food: Non-perishable items that can last for at least three days, such as canned goods, protein bars, and dried fruit.
• First Aid Kit: Include bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, and any prescription medications.
• Clothing: Pack sturdy shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and pants to protect yourself from embers or debris.
• Face masks: Smoke inhalation can be dangerous, so include N95 masks or other respirators.
• Blankets and sleeping bags: These will keep you warm and provide a place to rest if you’re displaced overnight.

Important Documents:

• Identification: Passports, driver’s licenses, social security cards, and birth certificates.
• Insurance documents: Homeowners, renters, and auto insurance policies.
• Financial documents: Bank statements, credit card information, and tax returns.
• Medical information: Prescription details and health insurance cards.
• Backup of digital data: USB drives or external hard drives with copies of essential files.

Tools and Equipment:

Fire extinguishers: Keep one in your car and one in your emergency kit.

Flashlights and extra batteries: Power outages are common during wildfires, so ensure you have light sources ready.

Battery-powered or hand-crank radio: Stay informed about fire progress and evacuation orders even if power and cell service go out.

Portable phone chargers: Keep extra battery packs to ensure your phone is available for emergency communication.

Multi-tool: This can serve as a screwdriver, knife, pliers, and more in case of emergency repairs or needs.

Develop an Evacuation Plan

Evacuation planning is an essential step in preparing your home for wildfire season. Know your routes and make a plan with your family for quick and safe evacuation. For a detailed guide on creating a family evacuation plan, check out this article on creating a family evacuation plan.

Evacuation Routes:

• Plan multiple routes: Know at least two or three routes out of your neighborhood in case your primary route is blocked by fire or traffic.
• Map your routes: Keep printed maps in your emergency kit in case your GPS or phone isn’t working.
• Designate a meeting place: If you and your family members are separated, have a designated meeting point outside the danger zone.

Family Communication Plan:

• Assign roles: Everyone in your household should have a role in the evacuation process. For example, one person can be in charge of loading the car, while another is responsible for gathering pets.
• Emergency contacts: Identify a point of contact outside your immediate area who can help keep track of your family’s whereabouts.
• Regular check-ins: Plan to check in with your family members at specific intervals during the evacuation.

Prepare Your Home Before You Leave:

Leave lights on: This helps firefighters see your home through heavy smoke.

Close windows and doors: This helps prevent embers from entering your home and igniting a fire inside.

Shut off utilities: If time allows, turn off the gas, water, and electricity to reduce the risk of explosions or damage to utility lines.

Move flammable items indoors: Bring outdoor furniture, doormats, and trash bins inside.